新托福口語練習材料——關于寵物的話題(1)

　　PetsAreGoodforyou

　　Thebasicmeaningof"pet"isananimalwekeepforemotionalratherthaneconomicreasons.(1)Apetanimaliskeptasacompanion,andweallneedcompanionstokeepusfeelinghappy.Butpetsofferusmorethanmerecompanionship;theyinviteustoloveandbeloved.Manyownersfeeltheirpetsunderstandthem,foranimalsarequicktosenseangerandsorrow.Oftenacatordogcancomfortusattimeswhenhumanwordsdon’thelp(2).Wefeelloved,too,bythewaypetsdepentonusforhome,forfoodanddrink.Dogsespecially,lookuptotheirowners,whichmakesthemfeelimportantandneeded.(3)

　　Apetcanbesomethingdifferenttoeachmemberofthefamily,anotherbabytothemother,asisterorbrothertoanonlychild,agrandchildtotheelderly,(4)butforallofuspetsprovidepleasureandcompanionship.Ithasevenbeensuggestedthattinypetsshouldbesentascompanionstoastronautsonspaceships,tohelpreducethestressandlonelinessofspaceflights.

　　InthisPlasticAge,(5)whenmostofusliveinlargecities,petsareparticularlyforchildren.Apetinthefamilykeepspeopleintouchwiththemorenatural,animalworld.Seeingananimalgivebirthbringsunderstandingofthenaturalnessofchildbirthofthenaturalnessofchildbirth,andseeingapethelpsachildtocopewithsorrow.(6)Learningtocareforapethelpsachildtogrowupintoalovingadultwhofeelsresponsibletowardsthosedependentonhim.Rightlyweteachchildrentobegoodtotheirpets.Theyshouldlearn,too,thatpetsaregoodforushumanbeings.

　　I.Listen

　　Listentothetextwiththehelpofthefollowingnotes.

　　1.Thebasicmeaningof"pet"isananimalwekeepforemotionalratherthaneconomicreasons:"寵物“的基本含義是，我們出于感情原因，而不是經濟目的而飼養的一種動物。

　　2.whenhumanwordsdon’thelp:人的語言安撫無濟于事時。

　　3.Dogsespecially,lookuptotheirowners,whichmakesthemfeelimportantandneeded:特別是狗對其主人的尊重使用權他們產生一種舉足輕重和不可缺少的感覺。

　　4.Apetcanbesomethingdifferenttoeachmemberofthefamily,anotherbabytothemother,asisterorbrothertoanonlychild,agrandchildtotheelderly:對家庭的每一個成員來說，一只寵物有著不同的作用：對母親來說，它是另一個孩子；對獨生子女來說，它則成了一個妹妹或弟弟；老人面前，它又變成了孫子。

　　5.InthePlasticAge:在這一塑料時代（即指當今塑料制品取代了自殺的生活用品）。

　　6.Seeingananimalgivebirthbringsunderstandingofthenaturalnessofchildbirth,andseeingapetdiehelpsachildtocopewithsorrow:觀察一只動物的分娩可以幫助人理解嬰兒出生的自然過程；而看到一只寵物的死去則可以幫助孩子怎能樣面對痛苦。